Lee faces Lumumba in runoff election

Jackson voters will head back to the polls Tuesday to choose between two Democratic candidates for Jackson mayor. Businessman Jonathan Lee faces attorney and City Councilman Chokwe Lumumba for the chance to appear on the June 4 ballot against three independent candidates.

In part two of a series, 16 WAPT's Scott Simmons spent the day recently with Lee, but not without a delay. Simmons reported that he had originally planned to follow Lee on Monday, but it was rescheduled for two days later.

"Now they have got me on a hot mic, so we've got to be careful," Lee said before a news conference Wednesday to announce endorsements from some area pastors.

Even then, Lee seemed very cautious, Simmons reported.

"We are concerned about Lumumba," Hinds County Supervisor Peggy Hobson-Calhoun said to Lee.

"You know you are mic'ed," said Lee volunteer Othor Cain, who also serves as the spokesman for the Hinds County Sheriff's Department.

"Yes, they have me mic'ed," Lee said.

Even Lee's handlers were trying to take the microphone off of him while the 16 WAPT News crew was following the candidate around.

"That's what I have been doing. You took the mic off," Simmons said to Cain.

"You are not going to get his sidebar conversations. That's correct," Cain said.

Later, Lee tried to explain Simmons' limited access to him over the past few days.

"Do you have that many closed-door meetings these days?" Simmons asked Lee.

"No, it's just that people are intimidated by the media, and when we are talking to a lady in subdivision No. 2, and there is a camera, it's intimidating," Lee said.

Lee is on the hot seat. He was the top vote-getter in the May 7 Democratic primary, ousting incumbent Mayor Harvey Johnson. Lumumba had the second-highest number of votes, which led to next week's runoff. Lee was also the top campaign fundraiser.

"We had widespread support, not only in northeast Jackson, but we had support in south Jackson, west Jackson, we had support all over," Lee said.

One of the questions Lee has dealt with in the two weeks leading up to the runoff is how much support he has from white voters. During Wednesday's news conference, Pastor Dwayne Pickett referred to allegations thrown out on one radio talk show.

"I was a little taken aback by that, by the claims that a vote for you is a vote for the (Ku Klux) Klan," Simmons said to Lee.

"That is what's being reported on 90.1, on a radio show. You have to do your own research on that," Lee said.

"So, you haven't heard it, but you have been told it's been said?" Simmons said.

"I have heard it," Lee responded.

The gloves are off in this last week before the runoff. Lee, 35, has emerged in just a few months from political obscurity.

"We know the No. 1 reason people leave this city is because of public schools," Lee said.

As he walked in downtown Jackson, Lee talked about the changes he'll make if elected mayor.

"People across the country have recognized that government has to be an advocate for public schools," Lee said.

As Lee greeted voters, he also had to constantly explain what he calls the story that won't go away: his family business, Mississippi Products, and why the supplier is locked in lawsuits.

"Did you make an error in your business? What happened?" Simmons asked.

"The bottom line is, we had a contract dispute that left us holding the bag on some merchandise and we're trying to get it sorted out," Lee said.

Lee said Jackson needs new ideas and new leaders in the city agencies like the Jackson Police Department. He has also guardedly criticized his opponent Lumumba's social activism and his work with groups like the New Black Panther Party. Simmons said he had to press Lee on what he means.

"I think he has a strong history of being an advocate for folks, however, when it comes down to making people of all backgrounds feel comfortable at the table, I clearly have the advantage. That is all I am going to say about that," Lee said.

PERCENT---- IN OUR COMMITMENT 20-13-COVERAGE. TONIGHT---WE HEAR FROM JACKSON- MAYORAL-CANDIDATE AND BUSINESSMAN- JONATHAN LEE. 16 WAPT'S SCOTT SIMMONS FOUND-OUT HOW LEE HOPES TO LEAVE HIS MARK ON THE CAPITAL-CITY. IT'S MONDAY. ANSWERS PHONE:JONATHAN LEE FOR MAYOR. ...AND WHAT I HOPED WAS TO BE A DAY OF FOLLOWING CANDIDATE JONATHAN LEE ENDED UP BEING RESCHEDULED FOR TWO DAYS LATER.... JONATHAN LEE/CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR :NOW THEY HAVE GOT ME ON A HOT MIC SO WE GOT TO BE CAREFUL . WE FINALLY GOT TO PUT A CAMERA AND MIC ON HIM AT HIS OWN NEWS CONFERENCE AND HE SEEMS ... VERY CAUTIOUS. PEGGY CALHOUN: WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT LUMUMBA. OTHOR'S VOICE: YOU KNOW YOU ARE MIC'ED... JONATHAN LEE/CANDIDATE: YES THEY HAVE ME MIC'ED. EVEN HIS HANDLERS .... TRYING TO TAKE THE MIC OFF OF HIM....WHILE WE ARE FOLLOWING HIM AROUND. SCOTT TO OTHOR: THAT'S WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING ..YOU TOOK THE MIC ...OFF. OTHOR CAIN: YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET HIS SIDEBAR CONVERSATIONS...THA T'S CORRECT.. LEE TRIES TO EXPLAIN....OUR LIMITED ACCESS OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. SCOTT SIMMONS: DO YOU HAVE THAT MANY CLOSED DOOR MEETINGS THESE DAYS? JONATHAN LEE...NO IT'S JUST THAT PEOPLE ARE INTIMIDATED BY THE MEDIA AND WHEN WE ARE TALKING TO A LADY IN SUBDIVISION NUMBER TWO AND THERE IS A CAMERA...IT IS INTIMIDATING. LEE IS ON THE HOT SEAT. HE WAS THE TOP VOTE GETTER IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR JACKSON MAYOR, THE TOP CAMPAIGN FUND RAISER ... JONATHAN LEE/CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: WE HAD WIDESPREAD SUPPORT, NOT ONLY IN NORTHEAST JACKSON BUT WE HAD SUPPORT IN SOUTH JACKSON, WEST JACKSON...WE HAD SUPPORT ALL OVER. IT IS THE CAMPAIGN CONSTANTS HE'S DEALT WITH IN THE TWO WEEK RUNOFF. THINGS LIKE THE HOW MUCH WHITE VOTER SUPPORT HE HAS, IN HIS PRESS CONFERENCE, PASTOR DWAYNE PICKETT REFERRED TO ALLEGATIONS THROWN OUT ON ONE RADIO TALK SHOW. SCOTT: I WAS A LITTLE TAKEN BACK BY THAT ..BY THE CLAIMS THAT A VOTE FOR YOU IS A VOTE FOR THE KLAN? JONATHAN LEE/CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: THAT .. IS WHAT'S BEING REPORTED ON 90.1 ON A RADIO SHOW. YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH ON THAT. SCOTT SIMMONS: HAVE YOU HEARD THAT? JONAHTHAN LEE: YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH ON THAT. SCOTT SIMMONS:SO YOU HAVE HEARD IT BUT YOU HAVE BEEN TOLD IT'S BEEN SAID. JONATHAN LEE/CANDIDATE: I HAVE HEARD IT! THE GLOVES ARE OFF IN THIS LAST WEEK BEFORE THE RUNOFF. 35 YEAR OLD JONATHAN LEE HAS EMERGED IN JUST A FEW MONTHS FROM POLITICAL OBSCURITY.. JONATHAN LEE/CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR:WE KNOW THE NUMBER ONE REASON PEOPLE LEAVE THIS CITY IS BECAUSE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS .. TO WALKING DOWNTOWN, HE TALKS ABOUT THE CHANGES HE'LL MAKE IF ELECTED MAYOR. JONATHAN LEE/CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT GOVERNMENT HAS TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AS HE GREETS VOTERS, HE ALSO HAS HAD TO CONSTANTLY EXPLAIN WHAT HE CALLS THE STORY THAT WON'T GO AWAY. HIS FAMILY BUSINESS, MISSISSIPPI PRODUCTS, AND WHY THE SUPPLIER IS LOCKED IN LAWSUITS. SCOTT SIMMONS: DID YOU MAKE AN ERROR IN YOUR BUSINESS...WHAT HAPPENED? JONATHAN LEE/CANDIDATE: THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE HAD A CONTRACT DISPUTE THAT LEFT US HOLDING THE BAG ON SOME MERCHANDISE AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT SORTED OUT. LEE SAYS JACKSON NEEDS NEW IDEAS AND NEW LEADERS IN CITY AGENCIES LIKE THE JACKSON POLICE DEPARTMENT. HE HAS ALSO GUARDEDLY CRITICIZED OPPONENT CHOKWE LUMUMBA'S SOCIAL ACITIVISM...HIS WORK WITH GROUPS LIKE THE NEW BLACK PANTHER PARTY. I HAD TO PRESS HIM ON WHAT HE MEANS. JONATHAN LEE/CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR: I THINK HE HAS A STRONG HISTORY OF BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR FOLKS HOWEVER WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO MAKING PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AT THE TABLE, I CLEARLY HAVE THE ADVANTAGE. THAT IS ALL I AM GOING TO SAY ABOUT THAT . VOTERS ARE ABOUT TO DECIDE IF EVERYTHING HE IS SAYING ABOUT MAKING JACKSON BETTER...IS REASON ENOUGH TO GIVE HIM THE REIGNS OF THE CITY.